Movie Reviews

“If you want to send a message,” Hollywood stalwart Sam Goldwyn is said to have remarked — with regard to someone’s yen to make a “meaningful” movie — “use Western Union.”

Good personal values vie with relentless gory combat in “Angel Has Fallen” (Lionsgate).

The honeymoon is over even before it begins in the nuptial-themed horror fantasy “Ready or Not” (Fox Searchlight).

Based on the 2012 best-seller by Maria Semple, “Where’d You Go, Bernadette” (Annapurna) tells the story of Bernadette Fox (Cate Blanchett), a fantastic mother but an otherwise abominable human being who disappears from her home after an intervention.

Abundant charm and an insightful depiction of the ups and downs of both friendship and family life make “Blinded by the Light” (Warner Bros.) — writer-director Gurinder Chadha’s touching fact-based mix of drama and comedy — a winner.

It’s rare that even the premise of a mainstream movie can be characterized as immoral. Yet such is the case with the supposed comedy “Good Boys” (Universal).

There’s blood in the water in the shark-themed thriller “47 Meters Down: Uncaged” (Entertainment Studios).

Much feathery fun is packed into “The Angry Birds Movie 2” (Sony), the latest animated installment in the franchise based on the addictive phone app.